Welcome Anthony to the Southeastern Fly 20+ Club

The musky waters were higher and more stained than I like so today Anthony and I went to the tailwaters. The water release was high and we did not expect really good results. The fish had other ideas. We will get to all that later.

Anthony has been fishing with me since before I started trying to put people on fish. He was there and towed my first drift boat. He was also there on a lot of days when I was trying to learn how to row without hitting too much stuff in one float. He has always been a good streamer angler, but he hasn't been able to break into the 20+ Club. Those are just a few of the reasons I couldn't wait to get home and put together this article. Another reason I couldn't wait was because Anthony has laid out some really good casts over the years and has been within an inch of the 20+ Club on several different occasions. His time has been coming.

On this day Anthony was dialed in and was into fish almost right away. He brought a 16" brown and another fish to the net. We were well into our float when it all began to come together. With his favorite streamer rod, heavy sinking line and what turned out to be the right fly choice he was laying out some good casts.

Anthony set the hook and and the line began to run upstream. We were moving along pretty slow and for the first few seconds I thought it could be a log. But, logs don't shake their heads and they don't move from one side of the boat to the other either.  Being seasoned anglers and all that, we were pretty sure it wasn't a log. 

Anthony gained control of the fish and mentioned something about 6X tippet, which made me cringe. He kept ahead of the fish and finally it began to come to the top. At first it looked like a medium sized striper, then it came closer and I got a little jealous we kept working the fish. Then the fish came quietly to the net and there were high fives as well as fist pumps all around. I am sure Anthony wanted to whip and nae nae, but this is fly fishing and not pro football.  We took the appropriate hero shots and released the fish to catch next time. For the next several minutes he had that glassy eyed look, like we all have when a nice fish has been brought to the net. Like every other angler who catches a nice fish like he kept saying "that was a nice fish..."  Congratulations Anthony nice work today and welcome to the Southeastern Fly 20+ Club.

If you are a seasoned angler or have never picked up a fly rod and want to set up a day on the river e-mail or call/text 615-796-5143 to book a day on the water. For additional booking information see our Homepage and to see the latest fishing report click here.

Welcome Daniel M. to the Southeastern Fly 20+ Club

How bad do angler's want that big fish?  Dan wants the big fish so bad he would drive three hours, throw a big streamer for hours on end and then drive three hours to get home. After all that he somehow answers the bell to be at work the next morning. 

When I rolled into the ramp parking lot early there was a lot of activity. Vehicles parked all around and blocking the muddy ramp. People scurrying around not doing much of anything but getting in the way. Eventually the people moved those vehicles out of the way and began to go about their day. 

Dan and David K. were suited up and soon loaded their stuff in the drifter. There were boxes of flies, fly rods, jackets, leaders, lunches, nets, cameras and all the other things that make a good day on the water. What was the most important thing in the boat? In my opinion David brought chocolate brownies! An entire large Ziploc bag of fresh chocolate goodness.

After backing down the muddy ramp we slid the drifter off the trailer. Before long we felt the boat push away from the gravel bank and take its rightful place floating high on a smooth flowing river. And it felt good too.

Musky fishing is not really as glamorous as people think. There is a lot of time spent casting, pulling big streamers, turning some figure eights, and picking the next likely spot...then casting again. 

Each angler will take a different approach. David K. is one who likes to change flies throughout the day and he is good about experimenting with those different patterns and colors. That helps pass the time and gives a boost to his confidence level at times. Dan was sticking with one fly. That fly apparently brought him confidence. As the day wore on and the follows came for both David and Dan their confidence was building in both ends of the boat. Me? I couldn't buy a follow.

We were bombing a particularly a good bank. I was keeping the guys more toward that bank and Dan was in the front brace getting some good shots. He was swimming that articulated fly off the bank and across some vegetation, skipping it across some smaller pot holes. I felt the line come tight from the rower's bench and looked up to see Dan was already leading the fish. He was gaining control and putting a big bend in his 11 wt. It seemed like we all knew what to do. I stayed on the oars and grabbed a camera, while David dug out the net. Dan was staying ahead of the fish and it was now making some runs around the front of the boat. The fish made a big run to the right and jumped a couple times, Dan grabbed a handful of cork and lead that fish back to the left side of the boat. Then we saw the head come up and he coaxed it into David's waiting net. We clicked off some photos and soon the fish was released and swimming away. A few compliments to the angler and we were floating again. 

Dan summed up this musky take in an almost perfect manner. His recollection of the still fresh events? "I was watching my fly coming back toward the boat, the fly disappeared and there was a big fish on the line". Sounds pretty simple but nothing is quite as simple as it seems.

Adventure Problem Solving: David K and I have been in some situations that would require some serious problem solving skills. The end of this float was deemed the adventure portion of the day when we finally made it to the takeout. Arriving after dark, the takeout was solid mud with no way of getting the truck and trailer to the water's edge. So after some thought, as well as an extra strap we pulled the boat up the muddy bank using the truck.  It wasn't too long before we had the boat on the trailer and were headed down the highway after a long day of casting big flies to big fish. Dan and David it was another good day thanks for the fellowship and good stories. Dan, congratulations on joining a group of really good anglers in the Southeastern Fly 20+ Club.

If you are a seasoned angler or have never picked up a fly rod and want to set up a day on the river e-mail or call/text 615-796-5143 to book a day on the water. For additional booking information see our Homepage and to see the latest fishing report click here.

Winter Streamer Fishing in Tennessee

The last days of Fall got us into some nice fish and as Winter comes our way we are off to a pretty good start. We have a strong number of musky haunts picked out and ready for anglers to throw meaty streamers. The musky flies are tied and the 10 weight rods are loaded with just the right lines. Also, from time to time throughout the winter floats I expect to pick up some smallies. 

Are bigger musky streamers better? There are many different schools of thought on this subject. Such as which types of food are available in the system at a certain time? The answer to this question supports just one of those schools of thought concerning the size of the fly. Getting a fish to strike isn't about what catches the angler's eye. It can be more about what the fish is looking to eat in the system or what the fish has been eating in that system the last few days.  Reaction strikes? Reaction strikes are a different situation all together. Some of our best fish have come on the reaction strike. The fly hits the water and after a pull or two on the streamer, bang, fish on! Normally these strikes are very much blind luck. But, blind luck strikes can be among least expected and the most exciting. Ready to get out there and fish for those toothy critters? We have everything to put you in position to pick up your fish of a lifetime.

Winter and early Spring on the tailwaters are some of the best "big fish days". Even though it is early and really cold weather is still around the corner, the big fish "are on the eat." We have been pretty lucky so far and caught our share of nice ones. If you want to trophy hunt we can put you in position to do that too.

I called David K. and we agreed to meet up and float the river on high water. The weather was going to be wet and nasty with additional nastiness as the day wore on. We began the day banging along the banks. There was very little action. A few fish flashing but no real commitment was just the way it was going. We swapped tactics and anchored to fish the edge of a gravel bar. A few hours early the gravel bars were high and dry, but with the high water we finally found some feeding fish. I was lucky to be in the front brace and David was in the rear brace. Both of us were thrashing the water wildly tossing smaller streamers. The absence of color was getting the most looks. Finally the 6 wt, Helios 2 stopped in mid-presentation and the first fight of the day was on. 

It didn't take long to figure out this was a big fish. There was the stop of the rod, the hook set with a pull back from the fish and then the head shakes. There were a lot of head shakes and when that wasn't working the fish went to the bottom of the river to try something new. Fortunately, I saw this fishy move the day before with Donnie in the front brace and remembered what to do. I didn't completely lose my mind but it could have happened. While all this action was unfolding David K. moved into the rower's seat and lifted the anchor. He also had his net poised for the scoop. When the time was right and the fish was ready, we moved the fish into the net. A couple hero shots, some time to revive the fish and then it was over. The river was once again calm with a quick flow. Just like that we were just watching the river pass. However, now we were both saying "wow what a fish". Then it was David's turn in the front brace as I checked back in at the rower's seat. A short time later we spotted an eagle enjoying the river as well. It was all came together just as the rain picked up.

Do you want to learn to streamer fish or already know how but want your shot at a big fish? The rivers in Middle Tennessee are pretty darned pleasant right now and should be that way for the next few months. The recreational traffic is non-existent for the most part and the fair weather anglers are couch-sitting. That's fine because just these two factors open up more opportunity, which is needed as the metabolism of the fish slows a little. There are no guarantees when hunting for that trophy fish, but there are some open dates on the calendar before and after the New Year to get your shot. Just get in touch via email, phone or text to get a date on the books.

There was 5" of rain that fell in Middle Tennessee so right now there is enough water to go around. But, already the lakes have peaked and have begun their fall. We are expecting heavy generation for the next few weeks at least. After that we are hoping for some longer windows of fishable flows as we move toward colder weather. Stay tuned for reports throughout the upcoming months. 

If you are a seasoned angler or have never picked up a fly rod and want to set up a day on the river e-mail or call/text 615-796-5143 to book a day on the water. For additional booking information see our Homepage and to see the latest fishing report click here.

Donnie on the Drift Boat

Donnie booked some time in the front casting brace of the drifter and caught the largest brown since he began fly fishing. Karl came along strictly for the entertainment value. But we shouldn't get ahead of ourselves. We started the day on high water and Donnie started with a streamer rod in his hand. After a good 30 minutes there were no signs of fish and certainly no fish in the net. It was going to be a long day...or so we thought.

We stowed the streamer rod and brought out the prototype nymphs. Then we began our search for high water seams. After dialing in the boat position and Donnie's presentation the hatchery brats began to come to the net. All this on high water was a good sign. It wasn't long before the generator turned off and the water began to get flat. At the same time the fish turned off almost completely. On this day there weren't even the rises to the little white specs after the generation. With the exception of the sound of the fly rod casting and the oars dipping into the water, it was almost dead calm. 

A little while later the fishing picked back up and the fish were coming to the nymph. After we got them coming to the nymph they came to the net on semi-regular basis. We weren't setting the world on fire but it felt like Donnie had a real shot at a nice fish even if the water was still on the high side. The plan was to fish deep and try to dredge a nice fish... 

Donnie was dialing in the cast and presentation. He was getting it more together with each turn of the river. Then the fly bottomed out on back to back casts. On the third cast Donnie's fast hook set stuck a nice fish. The fish didn't move too fast at first but when the fish came to the top we both knew it was a nice brown. This brown saved all its energy for a fight at the boat. Donnie was ready and his Orvis rod had just the right flex throughout the entire fight. Finally the head came up and Donnie slid the fish into the net. Smiles all around for the guys in the drift boat! Donnie just caught the largest brown since he began fly fishing. Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.

If you are a seasoned angler or have never picked up a fly rod and want to set up a day on the river e-mail or call/text 615-796-5143 to book a day on the water. For additional booking information see our Homepage and to see the latest fishing report click here.

Middle Tennessee Fly Fishing

It has been almost a month since the last report but we have been on the river as generation, weather and general flows have permitted. We are booking trips and shuffling dates as needed to get anglers on the best water. Adjustments have been key, as usual our anglers have remained flexible and the fish have been there when we arrive.

The Elk River-  The draw down of Tims Ford Lake is in full swing. Fortunately for us TVA is leaving full day windows on most weekends. Fish are eating the usual offerings with nymphs being the best bet for bringing fish to the net. Streamers will work especially if anglers can get on falling water. Color on streamers has been key.

The Caney Fork River- The sluice has been staining the water for over a month. Now the large sluice has turned off and the water is clearing a little. With zero, one and then two generators, early floats are the best bet for folks booking trips. That all could change with the next days schedule release so we are setting float plans the night before the trips.

Nymphs are bringing fish to the net. Reach in the box and try some midge patterns, if something is not producing keep going through the rotation until the fish turn on. If we find one fish we usually find another. We are on the move throughout the day but we also are not afraid to stop when we find a feeding fish and it feels like there should be more around.

We have been doing a little musky fishing with double digit follows and fish on...then off. Look for more reports as time permits us to get out on the right flows. The toothy critters are stepping up and there is a possibility for some good fishing through Spring then hopefully into the warmer months. Smallies have retreated for the most part and are setting up themselves for the winter months. However, they will still eat an extremely slow moving fly.

If you are a seasoned angler or have never picked up a fly rod and want to set up a day on the river e-mail or call/text 615-796-5143 to book a day on the water. For additional booking information see our Homepage and to see the latest fishing report click here.

Fall on the River with Greg and Mike

The weather is turning from warm weather to wader weather. We worked a little on presentation and delivering the fly, then climbed into the boat. A couple pulls on the oars and the current wrapped around the hull, then we began our drift toward feeding fish. 

It wasn't long before the fish were responding to the nymphs and midges. Greg and Mike were both into fish within the first 10 minutes of their drifts. Business picked up even more when we located a large pod of feeding fish. We collected some doubles along the way as the morning fog lingered.

We continued floating and hitting most of the structure. Creeks that joined the river held some good fish as well. The fish were eating, but not rising and we never really got into good rises. The dries would stay in the box and we would adjusting indicators most of the trip. Later in the afternoon we would have a shot at rising fish.

After lunch we were back on in the drifter and continuing to seek out the best structure. Greg was on the boat a couple months ago and he knows the routine. But this was Mike's first time to fish from the braces. He was in the groove quickly on this trip and began to understand presentation as the shoals passed under the boat one by one.

We stopped along the way to break out the dry flies, but nymphs were still the king of catching. Presentations had to be spot-on and presentations made of anything less wouldn't work on this day. Greg and Mike were both presenting a good fly so there were no worries about getting a bite when we passed the most likely places. On the final leg of the trip we boat a few more fish. The sun began to settle behind the trees and as that happened fishing slowed. We rowed to the takeout and soon the bow touched the gravel bar on another good trip. Greg and Mike, nice job guys it was a pleasure to spend a day on the river. See you on our next float.

The weather continues to move toward waders and fleece. We are moving into shorter days, but there is still time to get good floats where we are presenting flies to feeding fish.

If you are a seasoned angler or have never picked up a fly rod and want to set up a day on the river e-mail or call/text 615-796-5143 to book a day on the water. For additional booking information see our Homepage and to see the latest fishing report click here.

Elton and David Come Back on the Drift Boat

It's been just over a year since Elton and David were on the drifter. So, they are no strangers to our way of presenting the fly. For our trip this year the temperature was 75 degrees and the weather was exceptional, with an early morning fog laying on the river. Under that layer of fog, fish awaited our flies. Elton was on the board early and had already hooked up with several fish while I ran the shuttle.

We moved downstream immediately and began working on presentation. The fishing wasn't setting any records early in the float, but we did net some quality along the way. Early morning nymphs, with a solid dead-drift were the flies of choice. Structure was holding the fish. That structure included the gravel bars and the ends of the long-slow pools. Elton and David were getting in a groove with good mends and solid hooksets. 

The morning continued with hot and cold fishing. After lunch we were back in the drifter with plenty of water left to float. We kept presenting nymphs and moving from one productive stretch of water to the next. Presentations had to be "spot on" to get the results we desired.

It was most anglers favorite time again, time to present dries to feeding fish. Both Elton and David took turns on the dry fly. The fish were a little picky and we went through a large portion of a dry fly box. Parachutes would produce a strike, but the presentation had to be dead-perfect. As we were getting ready to make our next move and the anchor was on the way up, David tossed a small terrestrial into the pod of feeding fish. He hooked up. The anchor went back into the water and soon we were bringing another fish into the net.

We began the drift toward the ramp. Under the watchful eye of the resident osprey the guys continued fishing nymphs and dries. In the shade and away from the afternoon sun the nymph out produced the dry. The guys finished another successful day on the river. This year the catching wasn't quite as easy as last year. The quality was good, the time in the drift boat was therapeutic and the company was outstanding as usual. Thanks Elton and David it was another good day in the drifter.

If you are a seasoned angler or have never picked up a fly rod and want to set up a day on the river e-mail or call/text 615-796-5143 to book a day on the water. For additional booking information see our Homepage and to see the latest fishing report click here.

Brent and Matt on Nymphs, Terrestrials and Dry Flies

As the season passes, mornings on the river can be very similar. The sun rises over the trees, the fog lays on the water sometimes just lingering, while sometimes rolling in and rolling out with the slight breeze. On most mornings, I drive downstream to meet the shuttle. After arriving there is an opportunity to watch the water and check the clarity to make the plan for the day. Lately, I have seen an osprey as well as the usual birds checking things out as the sun begins to rise.

We drifted slowly away from the ramp and cut through the fog. It wasn't long before the guys were stinking up the net with small rainbows. The fresh stockers have the look of a usual hatchery brat, while some fish appear to have been in the system for a while and look healthier with nice color and full bellies. Brent and Matt began getting good drifts almost right away and we began working the structure along the bank. We tried deeper water and that produced fish as well. The deep water wasn't quite as productive as the bank structure and as we floated throughout the morning our best fish were coming around the shoals. Shoals with structure were just a bonus.

Brent and Matt didn't only enjoy good fishing. There was good discussion, a little work on technique and some relaxing moments on the slow moving river. In between the good discussion and relaxation the guys were nymphing up some good fish here and there. The browns are getting nice color, even the smaller browns are are "a bit buttery color". Buttery browns apparently like nymphs as we would soon confirm.

Just as we thought we had gotten the best of one stretch of river and I was thinking of our next move, Brent missed what might have been the last fish. But another cast and another mend, with another fly seeking out fish, the indicator took a dive. Brent raised the rod tip and the line came tight. The fish began making a solid run and added some headshakes to let us all know Brent had a nice one on the line. Brent was able to stay ahead of the fish and after a short while we caught sight of a nice brown trout with good color. Brent played the fish to the net and reminded us all to fish the shoal to the last possible moment.

Some fiberglass fills an afternoon- We found a pod of rising fish eating bugs off the slow moving surface. These fish were sheltered by overhanging trees above and sitting over a gravel bar that stretched only half way across the river. Every year we take some fish from this area, so it wasn't surprising to find them on this late summer day. I brought along the Superfine Glass stick and we knotted up a dry, then began working on clean presentations. 

Brent is no stranger to the dry and promptly was coming tight to a fish with the little glass rod. It was a short and decisive fight and he soon brought a fish to the net. We passed the little glass rod to the front of the boat and it was time for Matt to take his turn. This was Matt's first time fishing dries. After quickly learning the particulars of a good dry fly presentation he stripped off some line. A few passes later the fly slipped into a good seam with no drag. The fish rose and quickly snatched the fly from the surface. Matt came tight and the fish was hooked on the dry. The glass rod immediately had a nice bend. There were smiles all-around as the fish made its way to the net. It appears Matt may be hooked on the dry at that very moment too.

We kept moving and enjoying the relaxed float. Nymphs took the nicer fish while dries and small terrestrials brought new excitement and a new experience for Matt. The drifter moved toward the takeout as a long day on the river came to a close. When we were close to the ramp the osprey came out of the trees and welcomed us to the end of the float. Brent and Matt thanks again for another fun day on the river.

If you are a seasoned angler or have never picked up a fly rod and want to set up a day on the river e-mail or call/text 615-796-5143 to book a day on the water. For additional booking information see our Homepage and to see the latest fishing report click here.

Dan and Brent the Fly Fishing Substitute

On this trip Dan was going to spend a day on the river with his son. But, something came up and his son didn't make the trip. As any good son would do, he insisted his Dad go fishing and who better to take than Uncle Brent. Brent, never one to disappoint a youngster, rearranged his plans to make the float. So with Dan in the front brace and Brent playing substitute in the rear brace we went in search of wabbit...err, we went in search of fish.

On this morning there was fog and that fog kept the sun at bay as we floated along. The coolness of the morning held the temperatures to a fall-like feel. The water from the dam has been holding in the mid 50's and our angler's were commenting on the changing weather patterns. Our early morning "well trained" nymphs knew nothing about temperatures of changing of seasons. The nymphs were there for one reason and one reason only...to lure fish and get them to the net. It wasn't long before our "well trained" nymphs were doing their job.

Water splashed from the lines coming tight as the guys began setting hooks from the front and rear braces. The guys were getting good mends and the fish were eating with some regularity. The fog began to lift and sun began to heat the surface of the water. We searched out some rising fish, but they were not interested in dries. As usual though, just drop a nymph in their face and they make a decisive decision to eat almost immediately. 

We all want to believe the "big brown trout" is the wisest trout in the river. The big brown trout, the fish that only eats early or late and sometimes only after dark. The big brown trout, the fish that is difficult to catch because this fish knows all the tricks and uses those tricks on a regular basis. The big brown trout is not the only fish in the river that knows and uses all their tricks to get away from a firmly lodged hook of the fly...as Dan would soon find out.

We rowed to one of my favorite Fall pools.  In an attempt to describe the pool here we go. An overall description is this...the water comes off a shoal and drops into a nice pool. But, there's more to this pool than that description. There is a "sucker blow-down" that just gets pounded by everyone, but the closest good current seam to that blow-down is several feet away. So the blow-down is just that for the suckers. Many angler's have thrown a line across the leading edge of the pool and feeding fish to find out they have been suckered into the wood that has been laying there for years. Just past the blow-down, what most folks think of as the heart of the pool begins and so do the rises of the trash fish. The rising trash fish can fool even some of the most seasoned anglers. The trout are several feet downstream making their own rises. Those trout have a front row seat for all the angler's casting at the blow-down and those trout, if they could, they would laugh.  Those trout are out of reach until the boat, which is the only way to fish the pool effectively, reaches a slight turn in the current. The inside of the pool has no current, but it is in an angler's sight and looks likely for a take. The inside looks likely, that is, until the cast is made and the fly lands in zero flow. The feeding lane is really narrow but productive.

Keeping an angler's focus on the feeding lane can be tough, but Dan had no problem dropping his fly on exactly the right line. There was no blow-down, there were no misconceptions about the heart of the pool, no shot into the dead hole at the inside of the bend. Dan had the fly on track for the subtle rise that can almost go unnoticed. He threw in a mend and the fly began to make a clean pass down the feeding lane. Dan looked down to perform some line management and that's when the big rainbow decided to eat. The eat made the guy on the oars go a little crazy which snapped Dan to attention and he lifted the rod. The fish was on and began doing its best to dislodge the hook from its upper lip and to relieve itself of the pressure that was now trying to turn its head. The fish flashed and a big pink stripe came into mine and Brent's sight. We knew it was a good one, a fish anyone reading this would like to have on the end of their tippet sometime. The fish completed the turn and dove, then simply spit the fly. The rod went limp and the air seemed to leave the boat. It was a little quiet for a short time. Dan recovered quickly but this fish was truly the one that got away. 

We followed the river to the final bend. A number of fish had been tricked by the anglers in the front and rear casting braces. The "well-trained" flies had lured the fish to eat and then held on tight until the fish slid into the net. Some nice fish were caught while others and one rainbow in particular got away. The fog began to come back to the river as we loaded the drifter on the trailer and again we were all commenting on the changing weather patterns.

If you are a seasoned angler or have never picked up a fly rod and want to set up a day on the river e-mail or call/text 615-796-5143 to book a day on the water. For additional booking information see our Homepage and to see the latest fishing report click here.